Electric plug retaining cover



Dec. 23, 1958 G. E. LOFGREN ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINING COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1955 INVENTOR Gv: mf fnl/m6 lafaslmv AVZORNEY l Dec. 23, 1958 G. E. LOFGREN ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINING COVER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 4, 1953 Dec. 23, 1958 G. E. LOFGREN 2,866,169

ELECTRIC PLUG BETA'INING COVER Filed March 4, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Gusmf [lA/m armi/v TORNEY G. E. LOFGREN ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINING COVER Dec. 23, 195s ORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 4. 1953 United States Patent fil ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINING COVER Gnstaf Einar Lofgren, Riverside, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application March 4, 1953, Serial No. 340,185

2 Claims. (Cl. 339-91) This invention relates to an improved electrical connector receptacle for securely holding a connecting plug for a vacuum cleaner.

More particularly, it embraces a novel combination of elements for insuring the retention of an established connection between a plug and receptacle in such manner as to eliminate tampering therewith by, and possible injury thereby to, children or other persons handling the same.

Still other and further objects will become apparent upon reading the following description together with` the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tank type vacuum cleaner with a portion of its outer casing broken away to show a sectional view of one embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 4is an enlarged top plan view of the plug receptacle or connector cover shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the plug receptacle assembly of Fig. l showing the cover in opened position;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the plug receptacle assembly with the cover open and showing the contact blades;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of a cover latching device for this particular embodiment of the invention and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the latch of Fig. 7.

. Referring now in more detail to the drawings, 10, Fig. l, is a tank type vacuum cleaner, provided at the upper and rearward portion thereof with an electrical connector receptacle indicated generally by numeral 50, and embodying the improved structure of this invention. A pair of runners 11 normally supports the cleaner in a horizontal position on the rug to be cleaned, while the conventional hose and cleaner nozzle are not shown since they form no part of the present invention.

The particular structure of the connector receptacle embodied herein provides a unit which completely encloses female plug member 52, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1, especially when considered together with the remaining figures showing one illustrative model of the invention. This electrical connector comprises a receptacle base 20 which is securely fastened to the body of the cleaner by retaining screws 22 and has mounted therein contact blades 23 which in turn are securely held by insulated male terminal connecting element 24, the latter being fastened to base 20 by screw 26.

Base 20 has a spring clip 21 (see especially Fig. 4) fastened thereto by rivet 21a and thereby providing, with lip 20a of receptacle base 20, an easy means for ready 2,866,169 Patented Dec. 23, 1958 insertion of the unit into a cut-out portion 10a of the body of the tank type cleaner 10. The gripping of the rear edge of cut-out portion 10a between the lip 20a and the spring clip 21 serves as a highly flexible and yet secure means of fastening receptacle 20 into position on the cleaner especially when fastened in position by means of screw 22.

Cover 30` is hinged at 31 about a normally horizontal axis to top trim element 12 and when closed, receptacle base 20 is completely sealed, as shown in section, in Fig. l, and in more detail in Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and especially 6. This cover 30 is provided with internal depending fingers 32, between which a reduced end section 51 of female plug member 52 is securely held when the cover 30 is in closed position as shown more clearly in Fig. l. The rear skirt of cover 30 is provided with a slot 34 through which extends the electric cord 53 from the plug 51.

In order to secure the cover 30 in its closed position, a receptacle cover latch 40, Figs. 3, 7 and 8, biased to latching position by leaf spring 4l holds receptacle cover 30 closed by engagement between latch detent 43 and opening or notch 33 in cover 30. Receptacle cover latch 4t), originally a flat metal strip, is formed as shown in Figs. 3, 7 and 8 so as to provide al U-shaped center portion 44 which pivots about an axis at right angles to axis 31 between retaining fingers 12b and 12e integrally formed on the underside of the top trim element 12. Leaf spring 4l biases latch 40 to hold receptacle cover 30 in closed position, Fig. 3, unless released by pressing button 40a.

It is to be noted, that the reduced end or neck section 51 of cylindrically shaped female plug member 52 is securely held between depending fingers 32. This provides an added safety factor since electrical cord 53 integral with plug 52 is held in locked connection with contact blades 23.

In order to remove the plug 52 it is necessary to simultaneously pivot the latch 40 against the bias of spring 41 and lift the cover 30 against the force of gravity. It is most unlikely that these two manual operations would be performed accidentally at the same time, or even intentionally by an uninstructed person such as a young child, and consequently undesired removal of the plug 52 is made a very remote possibility.

While the invention is herein described and illustrated with respect to structural detail, it is obvious that the invention is broadly applicable and numerous changes and modifications and resort may be made to the full use of equivalents without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In combination with a portable electrical device having a casing, a recessed receptacle mounted in an opening formed in a wall of said casing, said receptacle having connector prongs projecting into the recess of the receptacle, a cover secured at one end to said wall adjacent one end of said receptacle, a plug having contacts adapted to mate with the connector prongs and having a power cord attached thereto and extending away from the receptacle at the other end thereof, said cover being movable from a position covering said recess to a position exposing the same, the opposite end of said cover having an opening for the passage of said cord, said cover and casing having cooperating latch portions with manually releasable means therefor, said manually releasable means being operable in a direction differing from that in ywhich the cover is movable whereby the cover may be moved to its position exposing the recess only when the releasable means is held in released position.

A 3 4 i 72,.k The -structure of the preceding claim in which said 900,773 Patterson Oct. 13, 1908 cover has depending fingers embracing the end of said 2,126,674` Stout' Aug; 9, 1938 plug to prevent removal thereof when the cover is in 2,183,651 Langston Dec. 19, 1939 closed position. 2,439,708 Abraham Apr. 13, 1948 5 2,690,543 Mackensen Sept. 28, 1954 l 83,033 switzerland Apr. 1, 1920 

